08-01-2015, 03:14 PM
I have a Taiwanese mill, and it uses metric soft aluminum tubing in the one-shot lube system. Well.... on disassembly to get it in my shop, some knucklehead (that would be me) crushed some of that tubing. Small quantities are not available in the US, as far as I could tell: I didn't want to buy 50 feet for $100.
McMaster Carr carries fractional inch soft aluminum tube, so I bought some which was close, but not a match. Since I *really* wanted to get the mill up and running again, I spent some quality lathe time and turned my own fittings & "olives" as you call them. All metric threads & diameters on the outside, fractional inch on the inside. Worked a treat and was both faster and cheaper than getting the right diameter tube.
As someone's signature says: if you can't get it, make it.
McMaster Carr carries fractional inch soft aluminum tube, so I bought some which was close, but not a match. Since I *really* wanted to get the mill up and running again, I spent some quality lathe time and turned my own fittings & "olives" as you call them. All metric threads & diameters on the outside, fractional inch on the inside. Worked a treat and was both faster and cheaper than getting the right diameter tube.
As someone's signature says: if you can't get it, make it.